System for controlling vehicle equipment

Abstract

A system and method of automatically controlling exterior vehicle lights includes an image sensor and a controller to generate control signals. The control signals are derived based on information obtained from the image sensor as well as other detected parameters pertaining to the detected light source(s), the vehicle having the inventive control system, and the ambient environment. The control circuit may simply turn certain exterior lights on or off, or change the brightness, aim, focus, etc. to produce various beam patterns that maximize the illuminated area in front of the vehicle without causing excessive glare in the eyes of other drivers.

1. A headlamp control system for a vehicle comprising:
 a control circuit coupled to the vehicle headlamps for fading the headlamps of the vehicle to an off state in response to the turning off of the vehicle ignition, wherein said control circuit is further coupled to an image sensor and is configured to automatically control at least one exterior light as a function of at least a portion of at least one image. 
 
     
     
       2. The headlamp control system of  claim 1 , wherein said control circuit begins to fade the vehicle headlamps upon detecting the exit of the driver. 
     
     
       3. The headlamp control system of  claim 1 , wherein said control circuit begins to fade the vehicle headlamps upon detecting the exit of the last occupant to leave the vehicle. 
     
     
       4. The headlamp control system of  claim 1 , wherein said control circuit is disposed in a rearview mirror assembly. 
     
     
       5. The headlamp control system of  claim 1  and further comprising an imaging system configured to image the scene forward of the controlled vehicle, wherein said control circuit is coupled to said imaging system for identifying and determining the brightness of light sources in images obtained from said imaging system and for controlling the beam pattern of the headlamps as a function of the brightness of light sources within the images. 
     
     
       6. The headlamp control system of  claim 5 , wherein said imaging system is disposed in a rearview mirror assembly. 
     
     
       7. A control system to control the headlamps of a vehicle comprising:
 a manually actuated switch mechanism for receiving input from a driver to temporarily increase the brightness of at least one vehicle headlamp in a flash-to-pass state; 
 an ambient light sensor for sensing the ambient light outside of the vehicle; and 
 a control circuit coupled to said ambient light sensor and said manually actuated switch mechanism for varying the beam pattern of the headlamps during a flash-to-pass state in response to the ambient light level sensed by said ambient light sensor. 
 
     
     
       8. The control system of  claim 7 , wherein said ambient light sensor is disposed in a rearview mirror assembly. 
     
     
       9. The control system of  claim 7 , wherein said control circuit is disposed in a rearview mirror assembly. 
     
     
       10. The control system of  claim 7  and further comprising an imaging system configured to image the scene forward of the vehicle, wherein said control circuit is coupled to said imaging system for identifying and determining the brightness of light sources in images obtained from said imaging system and for controlling the beam pattern of the headlamps as a function of the brightness of light sources within the images. 
     
     
       11. The control system of  claim 10 , wherein said imaging system is disposed in a rearview mirror assembly.